Trussed platform



Jan. 8, 1929. 1,698,038

. N. WARSHAW ET AL TRUSSED PLATFORM Inverfl'ors. NoThaniel Warshaw Dame! E. Herm es'sy Filed Jan. 19', 1927 AT Tys.

Patented J an. 8., 19 29 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. iurmmr. WARSHAW, or MATTAPAN, AND DANIEL n. namvnssy, or CAMBRIDGE, 1mm.ssrusnusnrr'rs, ASSIGNOBS '10, LEWIS-SHEPARD COMPANY, or wn'rnn'rown, mssncnusnr'rs, A CORPORATION or upssaonosn'rrs.

rnussnn I'm-Moan.

This invention relates to improvements in portable platforms of the type which are transported with the load thereon, from place to lace, byelevating trucksyand the general a ob ect of the invention is to provide a plat, form of this type of light construction but of great rigidity, which can be readily and economically manufactured.

' One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a portable platform of this" type having a floor and trussed side frames provided with legs. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a platform of this type in which the truss is adjustable so that the rigidity of the platform may be maintained.

A further object of the invention is torovide a platform of this t sin which the comprises a series of mem ers,such as planks, with side frames comprisin upper and lower plates and legs, the plates a, eing secured together by bolts which clamp the platform members there-between and in which the truss rods connect the legs of each side frame,

with spacing members between the truss rods and the lower plates of the side members.

Other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the ,followingde s'cription and the accompanying drawings claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. lis a side elevation of'a platform embodymg the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a different form of platform embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of another form of 7 platform embodying the invention; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail view in vertical section on line 55 Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is on line 6-6 Fig. 2;

. Fig. 7 is. a detail view in vertical section on line 77-Fig. 3; I

Fig. 8 is a detail view in vertical section on line 8'.8 Fig. 4.

' Several illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawoor 4 and will be particularly pointed out in, the

nuts may be adjusted toimpose a desired tena detail view in vertical section ings and it will be obvious that other embodiment of the invention may also be made within the scope of the following claims. z

The particular embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a floor formed of a-series' of floor members 'such as wooden planks 1 which are supported at their ends by side frames comprising a plurality of preferably flat plates 2, 3 underlying the ends of the floor members and having downwardly turned end portions 4 and 5 extendmg at right'angles to. the plane and of the body of the plates 2 and 3' and upper plates 6 extending throughout the length of the floor- The upper plates 6 desirably are angle irons the vertical flanges 7 of which engage the ends of the floor members so that the upper plates embrace the top faces and ends of the floor members. The s1de frames also are provided .with preferably U-shaped legs the vertical members 8 of which areprovided'with horizontal flanges 9 and 10 which engage the under faces ofthe plates 2jand 3. Bolts 11 passing through the. horizontal flanges of the- 7 upper plates, the lower plates and the flanges 9 and 10 of the legs serve the upper and lower plates and legs -ri idly together with the ends'of the floor mem ers clamped firmly there-between.

Truss rods 12 which extend'beneath the edges of the downwardly extending end portions 4 and 5 of the lower plates are connected to the side frames preferably passing through suitable apertures in the members 8 of the legs and are provided at their ends withfnuts 13 and suitable wedge shaped washers 14 intermediate of the nuts and the members 8. By reason of this construction the sion upon the truss'rods, thereby providing very rigid side frames adapted to resist the weight of the load imposed upon the plat- I form. These truss rods may be adjusted at any time to take up any slackne'ss which may occur in the side frames by reason of distortion from overload or wear so that the platform can at all times be maintained in a rigid condition. The abutting down turned end portions 4 and 5 of the lower plates may if I similar to that illustrated in Fig. 2 with the desired be welded together to provide a substantial integral lower plate construction. The downward turned ends 4 and 5 in this construction serve as a spacer between the .truss rods and the side frame construction of the platform. I

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 2 the ends of the series of floor members 1 rest upon lower plates 15 which extend throughout the length of the platform. These plates preferably are flat. The upper plates desirably are in the form of angle bars 16the horizontal flanges of which rest upon the upper faces of the ends of the floor members and'the vertical flanges 17 of which engage the ends of the floor members. The legs are 'of U-shape as heretofore described and thelower edges of the blocks 19 desirably are provided with rods. I v

The construction illustrated in Fig. 3 is s milar in all respectsto that illustrated in Flg. 2 with the exception that the spacing member instead of being in the form of a grooves 20 to receive the truss block is composed of two angle plates. The {1 horizontal flanges 21 and 22 are secured to the under faces of the lower plate by lines or spots of welding 23 and the vertical flanges 24 and 25 engage the truss rods 18 to provide the spacers required for the trusses.

The construction illustrated in Fig. 4 is exception that the legs are formed integral vvlth the lower plates of the side frames. In

this construction the lower plates of the side frames comprise flat plates 26 which extend throughout the major portion of the platform and then are bent downwardly and upwardly to provide the vertical members 27 and 28 of the U-shaped legs and horizontal flanges 29. In this construction also the end members 30 and 31. of the series of floor mem bers are considerably wider than the width of the upper ends of the leg portions. The

' flanges29 of the leg portions instead of engaging the lower plates engage directly the floor members 30 and 31. The upper plate 32 desirablyis in the form of an angle bar embracing the upper edges of the 'ends ofthe floor members and this plate is secured to the lower plate'26 and to the flanges 29, of the legs by suitable bolts 11 in the manner aforesaid. In this construction thetruss rods 33 extend The upper plates; lower plates through the members 27, and spacing blocks 34 are interposed between the truss rods and the lower plates of the side frames.

As illustrated herein the spacing blocks 34 v trative and not restrictive and that various changes in form of construction and arrangement of parts may be made withm the spirlt "and scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A portable platform comprising a floor,

metallic side frames therefor having rigid legs at their ends, truss rods connecting the legs of the respective side frames, downwardly extending spacing means interposed betweenthe central portions of the truss rods and the respective side frames and means for adjusting the tension of the truss rods.

2. A portable platform having a series of floor members, side frames comprising metallic supporting plates beneath the ends of the floor members and cooperating plates engaging the upper faces of. the ends of said oor members, legs at the ends of said side frames, bolts passing through said plates and the floor members there-between acting to clamp the plates upon the ends of the floor members and also to secure the legs thereto, truss rods connecting the legs of the respective side frames, and spacing members between the truss rods and the respective supporting plates of the side frames and means for adpisting the tension of the truss rods.

3.' A portable platform having a series of floor members, slde frames comprising metallic supporting plates beneath theends of the floor members and provided at their ends with legs, angle plates embracing the ends and upper faces of said floor members, bolts passing through said plates and the floor members there-between acting to clamp said plates upon the ends of the floor members and to secure the legs thereto, truss rods connecting the legs of the respective side frames,

adjacent members of the U sha speoingl means integral with sai supporting 10 p ates (1 legs and etween the truss rods and respective supporting plates of the sideframes- In testimony whereofg-we have signed our names to this specification. v

NATHANIEL WARSHAW. DANIEL E. HENNESSY. 

